Retracting cord reel



23, 1945. R, J. BAUNACH RETRACTING CORD REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 10, 1944 L EN mw E Fay J EA UNA L7H Oct..23, 1945.

R. J. BAUNACIH RETRAC TING CORD REEL v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 10, 1944 wow M E02 J BAUNAEH QHMQM Patented Oct. 23, 1945 OFFICE RETRACTING CORD REEL Roy J. Baunach, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The Swartzbaugh Manufacturing Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio 1 Application January 10, 1944, Serial No. 517,669

3 Claims. (Cl. 191-122) 1 This invention relates to cable retracting reels, and particularly to those for holding electric cords wherein the cord wires at their inner ends, relative to the reel, have suitable connection with associated electric elements.

The primary object of the invention is the provision. of asimple andimproved reel of the class described wherein the reel may be of quite narrow construction with its parts compactly arranged and with a retracting spring and the slip contacts for the cord wire connections disposed interiorly of the reel.

Otherobjects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, and from the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is atop plan view of a reel embodying the invention mounted in an enclosing casing; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 22 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail. of a fragmentary top face portion of the reel showing the ratchet feature with the ratchet disengaged; Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the ratchet wheel and its mounting stud; Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary central vertical section on the line 5-2 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a'fragmentary section on the line 6-6 in Fig. 5.

Referring to 'the drawings, 1 designates the reel, 2 the cable winding thereon, and 3 the casing or housing in which the reel and its operating parts are disposed. The reel, its mounting and cable wire connections, in the present instance, are designed particularly for use in connection with portable food conveyors wherein several electrical heating elements are provided, and it is desirable to have the extension cord therefor retractedwithin the conveyor unit when it is not in use or is being moved. In such case, the reel is preferably mounted in the bottom portion of the unit to rotate in a horizontal plane.

The reel 1, in the present instance, comprises a hub sleeve 5 (Fig. 5) having a radial annular flange 3 near its upper end, and two radially extending .body flanges 1 and 8, which latter are of disk-form and may be of sheet metal and have their inner portions secured together in side abut ment and fitting over the inner; endof the hub sleeve 5 against the flange 6 to which they are fixedly attached by rivets 9, or in any other suitable manner. The outer edge portion of the body flange 8 extends laterally from the flange I and then radially in spaced relation to the flange I, and cooperates therewith to form an annular radially opening rim channel I0 within which the cord 2 may wind. This channel is of narrow form, and, in the present instance, is only slightly greater in width than that of the cable. It is thus apparent that the reel includes a hub portion, a channel rim portion and an intermediate web portion, with the latter at one side of the reel and cooperating with the hub and rim to form a recess or space H which is open, in the present instance, at the bottom side of the reel or toward the casing 3. v

The hub sleeve 5 is rotatably mounted on a stub shaft l4 having at its free or upper end a ratchet wheel l5 and at its lower end a threaded stud I6, which latter is projected through an opening in the casing 3 and is provided at the outer side of the casing with a clamping nut IT. The shaft l4 forms a shoulder at the inner end of the stud I6. A spacing collar I8 and anchor plate l9, with washers 20, are clamped between said shoulder and the casing 3 by a tightening of the nut I! on the stud [6. The hub sleeve 5 is retained between the ratchet l5 and the adjacent washer 20. The stud It has a flat side 2| (Fig. 4) which engages a flat side in the openings of the casing 3 and plate I9 through which it projects, thus preventing any relative turning of the stud, plate and easing.

A coiled spring 25 is mounted in the reel space H between the web portion of the reel and the anchorplate l9 and is attached atits inner end to an anchor ring 26, as at 21 (Fig. 6) and at its outer end to a finger 28 fixed to andprojecting radially from an edge portion of the plate [9. The spring is tensioned to yieldingly exert a turning movement in cable winding direction on the reel. The ring 26 is concentric to and spaced outwardly from the hub sleeve 5, is secured to the reel web by screws 29, and is of dielectric material, as is also the plate l9.

Within the annular space between the hub sleeve 5 and anchor ring 26 are disposed two sets of side contacting electric brush rings 30, 3| and 32, 33, and two electrical insulating rings 34 and 35, with the former spacing the rings 30,

'3I from the hub flange 6 and the latter spacing the two sets of rings. The several brush and insulating rings are held in frictional engaging assembled relation by a plurality ,of fingers 31, which are attached to and project inwardly from the free edge of the anchor; ring 26 and have their free ends in yieldin engagement with the outer set of rings 32, 33, thus acting to hold the ring assembly against the hub flange.

The electric cable 2 customarily used in connection with food conveyor units, or the like, includes a plurality of conductor wires, in the present instance three, two being live circuit wires and the third a ground wire. In the illustrated arrangement, 40 and 4| are the live wires and 42 the ground Wire. The wires 40 and 4| are connected, respectively, to fingers 43 and 44 projecting, respectively, from the brush rings 30 and 32. The fingers 43 and 44 project through respective registering openings 45 and 46 in the anchor rings? 67 and therweb portion of ithe reel: and connecttwitli' the respective wiresilfl anclulli at the top side of'the reel. Each of the brush electrical elements of the unitewith-whiclr thenls reel is associated. The wires 49 extend fronmi the casing through a cable. sheath 50. .Th ground wire 42 of the cable2 is *connected'atil to the web portion of the reel, while ithexcome panion ground wire 52 of the unit (Fig. 1) is attached-tothecasing 3. The electrical circuit f or'the'ground wires 42j 52; -is completed-through the -reel l 'hubsleeve"-5;" shaf-t* l 4 ;--studl 6 and easing 3,-- a1l of" which are=-'0f suitable-electrical conductive material. i

The reel. is held in any unwound or -cab1e'extended position '-by "the coactionof *a spring pressed catch rod 55 with a toothof-"theratchet wheel l5i the -rod= being normally held in catch engagement 'wi-thfithe' ratchet wheel-"by thecoiled expansionspri-n'g EG E -Whi'ch haS one" end thrust against a I pin or shoulder on =th'e rod-and "its Ot/hel-end thrust against a guide?! on -theqeel Sid.=-" The rod -55 is' provided at-its outer" end with a weight 58-whi'ch;iby centrifugal forc'e upon 3 rotation ofthe reel; overcomesthe tens'ionof th spli-ng 56 and' -r noves the-rod iifito released position; aswell understood in connection with ratchet mechan-isms of'this character; ItWi-ll'be understood that an outward -'pu1l -0f-the"-cable will turn: the reel sufficiently to causetherod-to ride upron one of the ratcheti teeth andthat-upqn releasing :the pullonath'e 'eable the' reel; under the action of the-retracting spring 2 53 wi-llturnto wind the cable on the reel, and that during this turning i movement the weight :=wi-ll"- act=-to hold -the catch rod in' releasedposition; as'shown inrFige 3. During'a turning of-' the=reel-'th=movable thrush rings 80 and-'32: will "turn therewith in sliding; engagement; With tl'rerespective "sta tionary: Jrings :3l and 3352thus --maintaining a closed-. -'circ'uit -connectioh between the I live wires 40 and: 4 I andthe stationar-y unit wir'es 49 dui ing anyioperati-ngi'movement of t'he' reel. At the same i time a closed ground: circuit is maintained between the ground wire 42' of tl1e-eabIe -2 and the unit ground wl-re fil lthrough th=e=e1ectrical connectingpartssof: the: reel; and-its mounting.

I wishiit understood.- thatmy invention isnot limited to any specificconstruction; arrangement orzform of the par-ts; as-it is "capable :of numerous modifications .1 and' ichangeswithout departing from :the :spirit of th'e claims. L

Havin ;i.:thusdescribed myr-invention; what -I claimizas :new, 1 and desire' to secure-'by ==Umted States Letters Patent; is :1

1. iInsa reeliof the class described, a stationary mount,xa hub sleevezmounted:for'rotation on said mount, a radially disposed annular web portion fixed to said sleeve and havin a rim portion forming an annular radially opening rim channel with the channel at one side of the plane of rotation of said web portion and in overhanging relation to the hub sleeve to provide a space between the rim channel and the sleeve, a ring disposed: WithinvSaid. spacevinter-mediate the sleeve and i'int and anchored 'tto the web portion to rotate therewith, a coiled retracting spring mounted in: said space without said ring and anchored at its inner end to the ring. and at its outer nd to said mount; and electric ring-type brush means mountedwinisaid space between said ring and g sleevel-uertairimf.the brush rings turning with the reel;andehauing extensions for the connection of circuit wires thereto and certain other of said ringsbeingstationary relative to said mount and havingv circuit wire connecting extensions therefrom. i 2; a reel of the class -described, .a stationary mount;-' a hub sleevel a-reel body fixedto andtproe: jecting= radially 'fromrsaid :sleeveaiand formingxan' annular radially' opening: cableireceivingi channel at its outer end in overhangingirel'atiorrztorsaid sleeve tos form' a space therehetweem (an annular ring of dielectricimaterial fiXedi to; the reel body withinirsaid spacer-fin aconcentric:relationsto' the; reel axis'andinzspacedrelation to-:ho.th, said sleeve. and rimsa coiledaspringwithin: said; space latzwthe' outerzsidexoi said; ringzand attached at its inner end to the ring and at its outera'endito'said; mount; a set:of- .trictionally coactirigibrush rings; mounted irrcsaid:.space:.loetween ring; andiw-sleeve and imulatedgzfromtgthe nsleeve; cone ring i being lstationary relative daoothezwheel to :turn therewith andihavingianxelectric circuit wirezconnection exje. tendinglwithoutathe:webeportiomofthe wheel and" thei'rotherz ringibeingxstationary irelative to said mountiandlhavin'g a: circuit-iwire connection;

3. .Inia,device:of= theiclass described,-- a station: ary mountincluding 1a fixed, p ate, a rotatable reel mounted onsaid: mount :above said plate and-1m eluding a hubisleeve'and'aniannular web-portion projecting radiallyefrom the: sleeve/ and having a channeled-grim: foraiireceiving 1.3 cablemwith: =the channel-"portion of the :rimove-rhanging-the sleeve to.,form *a space. therebetween; wh-ichspace opens downwardly towardsaid iplate andwisepartially closedrthereby', .a :dielectric' ring. fixed= torsaid -web portion; within :saidspacein spaced relaticn rto bothitheasleeve and-the: channeled rim v a coiled spring-mounteddmthe outer pQI'tiOnTDfiSaid' space and anchored-atits inner-.end-tosaiderin'g-andlat its: outer end to saidplate, ands-a plurality-oi sets of coasting: electric xbrushirin-gsmounted invthe innereportion ofwsaid-spaceibetween the dielectric ring andt-isleeve the sets a-beinginsrflatedafrom said sleeve-and web-portion and-from each other; Qnewring ;.of:-each set --bei-ng stationaaryrelative to-;the'reel to turn therewith and having-,acable wirex connecting finger. and the: other brush-ring of each set being stationary relative to said plate andhavinga ,circuit-twi're connecting l-iingereproe jecting therefrom without the. lpla-teteand means for, eretaining the brush -rings-.i,n assembled rela tion with the reels;

ROY- :J. wBAUNiAGH- a 

